Coming back after leaving during Generation VIII

Generation VIII limited each game to a regional Pokédex

Sword and Shield went on sale on 15 November 2019 and, with Legends: Arceus in January 2022, added 96 species for 905 in total. They were the first main-series games to carry only part of the National Pokédex; The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra in 2020 widened the list. Dynamax and Gigantamax raised HP for three turns, Max Raid Battles ran in the Wild Area, and Mega Evolution and Z-Moves were left out. Mints, the Ability Patch and Exp. Candy made training faster. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remade Sinnoh in 2021, and Legends: Arceus set catching and research in Hisui, with agile and strong move styles.

Three changes since 2022 matter for a returning Switch player

Scarlet and Violet in November 2022 dropped Dynamax and made Terastallization the once-per-battle mechanic: a Pokémon takes its Tera Type for defense and can reach 2 times same-type bonus. Tera Raid Battles replaced Max Raids, snow replaced hail, and breeding moved into picnics. Legends: Z-A in October 2025 brought Mega Evolution back in a real-time battle system set in Lumiose City. Champions launched on Nintendo Switch on 8 April 2026, and official video game competition moved to it from the Indianapolis Regional Championships at the end of May 2026. The Generation IX what-changed page covers the first in detail; the Champions pages cover the third.

Scarlet and Violet suit Sword and Shield players best

Players who liked Sword and Shield's gyms and Wild Area will find Scarlet and Violet the closest: eight gyms remain, the open region grew out of the Wild Area idea, and Tera Raid Battles fill the role of Max Raids with up to four players. The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk add two areas. Players who preferred Legends: Arceus, with catching in the field and research tasks, should look at Legends: Z-A, the next game in the Legends line, though it is set in Lumiose City and battles in real time. Players who mostly battled online can move to Champions, which carries the current official tournament format.

Generation VIII saves move both ways with HOME

Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl and Legends: Arceus are Switch games, so saves stay on the console and move with a system transfer, including to a Nintendo Switch 2. All five connect to HOME in both directions, per Nintendo's HOME support page read on 7 November 2026. A Pokémon from any of them can go into Scarlet and Violet if its species is in that game's list. Legends: Z-A also connects to HOME, but a Pokémon moved into Legends: Z-A cannot return to an earlier main-series game. Champions accepts qualifying Pokémon from HOME as visitors and returns them, while Pokémon recruited in Champions stay there.

Limit. Moving a Pokémon into Legends: Z-A closes its route back to Sword, Shield and Scarlet and Violet, so move a copy-worthy favourite there last.

Spend the first week back on Paldea and one HOME check

Day one: choose Scarlet or Violet, Legends: Z-A, or Champions, using the which-game page if none stands out. Day two and three: play and read the Generation IX page, especially the Terastallization section. Day four: open HOME and check that it still sees your Generation VIII saves; if a Premium plan has lapsed, only the 30 most recently deposited Pokémon stay usable on the Basic plan, and the rest are held for a limited time but cannot be viewed or withdrawn without Premium. Day five: move one Pokémon into your new game. Day six: if you want to battle in tournaments, read the Champions VGC first-practice page and the current official rules. Day seven: build a team with the first-team guide.